Many of us use the cloud, or cloud-based applications, without even being aware of it. Advances in computer science to ensure redundancy and protection from natural disasters have led to data being shared across many different hosting facilities. Improved infrastructure has made the cloud robust and reliable; as usage grows, the cloud is fundamentally changing our notions of computing and communication.

Part of a trend that began with simple innovations like personalized start pages, RSS aggregation, and customizable widgets, the personal web is a term coined to represent a collection of technologies that confer the ability to reorganize, configure and manage online content rather than just viewing it. Using a growing set of free and simple tools and applications, it is easy to create customized, personal web-based environments — a personal web — that explicitly supports one’s social, professional, learning and other activities via highly personalized windows to the networked world

This is the presentation that I gave at the CIC CAO Conference in November 2009, were I focused on Balancing the two faces of e-portfolios. Janus is the Roman god of gates and doors, beginnings and endings, and hence represented with a double-faced head, each looking in opposite directions. He was worshipped at the beginning of the harvest time, planting, marriage, birth, and other types of beginnings, especially the beginnings of important events in a person&apos;s life. Janus also represents the transition between primitive life and civilization, between the countryside and the city, peace and war, and the growing-up of young people.

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IntroductionsWho are you?What do you teach?What is your prior experience with portfolios… electronic?What are your questions about ePortfolios?

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Legacy from the Portfolio LiteratureMuch to learn from the literature on paper-based portfoliosAs adult learners, we have much to learn from how children approach portfolios“Everything I know about portfolios was confirmed working with a kindergartener”

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The Power of Portfolios what children can teach us about learning and assessmentAuthor: Elizabeth HebertPublisher: Jossey-BassPicture courtesy of Amazon.com

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From the Preface (1)Hebert, Elizabeth (2001) The Power of Portfolios. Jossey-Bass, p.ix“Portfolios have been with us for a very long time. Those of us who grew up in the 1950s or earlier recognize portfolios as reincarnations of the large memory boxes or drawers where our parents collected starred spelling tests, lacy valentines, science fair posters, early attempts at poetry, and (of course) the obligatory set of plaster hands. Each item was selected by our parents because it represented our acquisition of a new skill or our feelings of accomplishment. Perhaps an entry was accompanied by a special notation of praise from a teacher or maybe it was placed in the box just because we did it.”

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From the Preface (2)Hebert, Elizabeth (2001) The Power of Portfolios. Jossey-Bass, p.ix “We formed part of our identity from the contents of these memory boxes. We recognized each piece and its association with a particular time or experience. We shared these collections with grandparents to reinforce feelings of pride and we reexamined them on rainy days when friends were unavailable for play. Reflecting on the collection allowed us to attribute importance to these artifacts, and by extension to ourselves, as they gave witness to the story of our early school experiences.”

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From the Preface (3)Hebert, Elizabeth (2001) The Power of Portfolios. Jossey-Bass, p.ix-x “Our parents couldn’t possibly envision that these memory boxes would be the inspiration for an innovative way of thinking about children’s learning. These collections, lovingly stored away on our behalf, are the genuine exemplar for documenting children’s learning over time. But now these memory boxes have a different meaning. It’s not purely private or personal, although the personal is what gives power to what they can mean.”

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Let’s get personal…Think for a minute about:Something about your COLLECTIONS:Suggested topics:If you are a parent, what you saved for your childrenWhat your parents saved for youWhat you collect… Why you collect…

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Some issues to considerWhat do your collections say about what you value? Is there a difference between what you purposefully save and what you can’t throw away?How can we use our personal collections experiences to help learners as they develop their portfolios?The power of portfolios [to support deep learning] is personal.

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What is a Portfolio?Dictionary definition: a flat, portable case for carrying loose papers, drawings, etc.Financial portfolio: document accumulation of fiscalcapitalEducational portfolio: document development of humancapital

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What is an Electronic Portfolio?Digital DocumentsOrganized and presented with some type of "authoring" softwareStored in an electronic container CD-Recordable discDVD-Recordable disc WWW – Changing the genre!

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What is the best tool? Do you need an all-in-one system or multiple tools?

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Categories of E-Portfolio SoftwareCreated as part of my study of different online tools:http://electronicportfolios.org/categories.html“Not just tools for telling [presentation]but more tools for talking! [conversation]”- Julie Hughes, University of WolverhamptonConversation transforms!

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QUOTEThe e-portfolio is the central and common point for the student experience… It is a reflection of the student as a person undergoing continuous personal development, not just a store of evidence.-Geoff Rebbeck, e-Learning Coordinator, Thanet College, quoted in JISC, 2008, Effective Practice with e-Portfolios

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Six technologies with the power to transform K-12 teaching and learningOne year or less:collaborative environmentsonline communication toolsTwo to three years:mobile devicescloud computingFour to five years:smart objectsthe personal web New Media Centershttp://www.nmc.org/

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Cloud Computing“The cloud is the term for networked computers that distribute processing power, applications, and large systems among many machines.”disk storage and processing cycles a readily available, cheap commodity thin-client, web-based applications for image editing, word processing, social networking, and media creationMore reliable than desktop storageThe Horizon Report, 2009

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The Personal Web… computer users are assembling collections of tools, widgets, and services that make it easy to develop and organize dynamic online content. Armed with tools for tagging, aggregating, updating, and keeping track of content, today’s learners create and navigate a web that is increasingly tailored to their own needs and interests: this is the personal web. The Horizon Report, 2009

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A Reminder…Reflection… is the “Heart and Soul” of a Portfolio… NOT the Technology!

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Technology & ReflectionTwo Themes across the Lifespan with ePortfolio Development

Forms of AssessmentFormative AssessmentsProvides insights for the teacherAssessment FOR LearningProvides insights for the learnerSummative Assessments (Assessment OF Learning or Evaluation)Provides insights (and data) for the institutionNick Rate (2008) Assessment for Learning & ePortfolios, NZ Ministry of Ed

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Metacognitive DevelopmentModels for Learning - for teaching thinking skillsReflection - being able to stand back, to think about what has been done well, to identify difficulties, and to focus on areas for improvement.Goal-Setting - has a profound effect on students’ progress towards independent learning

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Assessment to Improve LearningClear Success Criteria - Clear performance standards give students a goal towards which they should strive.Self-Assessment - Students can assess their own work against stated standards.Authentic Process and Product - real-life tasks and contexts

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Development of Home-School LinksParental Involvement - portfolio going home on a regular basis, parents have opportunities to discuss progress with their children and give support and encouragementStudent-Led Conferences - focus remains on the students and the critical role they have in determining their own future developmentShared Understanding - the whole assessment process becomes more open

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Goal:Development of Independent Learners“More significantly the portfolio can be a vehicle for empowering students to take increasing responsibility for their own learning. It can assist with the development of student self esteem through providing a means for them to display work of which they are proud;”

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High School ePortfolio EmphasisTechnologies: GoogleApps (Docs, Sites), Social NetworkingReflection in High School: Construction of Self, Planning for the Future

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How can you leverage the technologies students own?Accessibility from home computersConnectivity with cell phones

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How is social networking impacting technology in education?It is having a huge impact on our social and political world!

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Discuss!What are the engagement factors that drive the use of social networks and how can we incorporate those factors into ePortfolios?

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Professional ePortfolio EmphasisTechnologies: Social Networks, Productivity Tools, Micro-Blogging (Twitter, Edmodo) and Second LifeReflection on the Job: Sharing Experiences, Building a Community of Learners

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Hands-on activity: #1 Google Account Log in toyourGoogle accountUse this account as your Google address for all other tools we will be using. Write down your user name and password in more than one place! Put all of participant Google addresses on a list and give to me.

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Public Google Tools vs. GoogleApps for Education?Public Google Tools (Gmail account)Google Apps for EducationStudent owns the account for life (must be over 13)Student has complete control of accessFREE for anyoneNo uploading to Google Video (must use YouTube to embed videos)Start immediatelyProtected environment (school assigns account)School can control access (limit to members)FREE for educationLimited use of Google Video (2 GB)Need some advanced set-up timehttp://sites.google.com/site/colettecassinelli/proscons

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BlogsAdvantagesQuickly, easily create a learning journal, documenting growth over time with entries that are date-stamped. WordPress allows additional pages and sub-pages. Interactivity is maintained through RSS feeds and Comments that can be added.WordPress file limit 3 GB!WordPress blogs can be password-protected.DisadvantagesPrescribed order (reverse-chronological) of entries. Does not allow organizing attached files into folders. Limited attachments in Blogger.

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Hands-on activity: #3 BlogSet up a reflective journalas an Announcements page in Google SitesWrite your first blog entryCreate entries with hyperlinks in your blog to document the learning activities in this workshop.Add comments to another participant’s blog(any blogging software will work)

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GoogleDocsAdvantagesDocuments, presentations or spreadsheets can be editedMaintains a record of all revisions, with identity of author. Interactivity is maintained through comments and co-authoring. Easily embed presentations into blog. Convert all documents to Microsoft Office or OpenOffice or PDF.DisadvantagesSet up own system for managing the feedback on student work. Requires full time high speed Internet access. No attachments, only hyperlinks to documents.

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Storage Limitations in Google Sites – Apps vs. Sitessites.google.com/site/ account limited to 100 MB of attachments in each Google Site you set up GoogleApps for Education domains with a maximum of 100 GB per domain, assigning accounts for each studentStandard GoogleApps account, with your own domain name, for $10 a year, currently allows a maximum of 10GB of attached files in all Sites created under your domain Google's FAQ on Storage in different versions of Google Sites

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Wordle.netThis following Word Cloud was created collaboratively by educators around the world, who contributed keywords that came to their mind when thinking about Digital Storytelling. Words that appear larger were used by more contributors.http://langwitches.org/blog/2008/07/27/digital-storytelling-part-ix-wordle/

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ProcesshandoutsPurpose. Decide on the purpose for the portfolio. What are you trying to show with this portfolio?Collection/Classification.What artifacts will you include in your portfolio? How will you classify these entries?Reflection. Blog entries provide an opportunity for reflection "in the present tense" or "reflection in action.”Connection/Interaction/Dialogue/Feedback. This stage provides an opportunity for interaction and feedback on the work posted in the portfolio.Summative Reflection/Selection/Evaluation. Students would write a reflection that looks back over the course (or program) and provides a meta-analysis of the learning experience as represented in the reflections stored in the blog/journal entries.Presentation/Publishing. The portfolio developer decides what parts of the portfolio are to be made public. REPEAT for each learning activity or artifact.

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1. Purpose. Decide on the purpose for the portfolio. What are you trying to show with this portfolio? Are there outcomes, goals, or standards that are being demonstrated with this portfolio?Teachers and Students: Identify how you are going to organize the portfolio. Will it be around the outcomes, goals or standards that you identified in this first step?Students: Set up a Google Sites page that will serve as the opening page/Introduction to the portfolio and to the portfolio developer (see Section 6 below). This page could include a section entitled, "All About Me.”Students: Create a Google Sites Announcements page type, to use as a reflective journal (blog). Call the page "Journal" or "Blog." Create a first post that describes the purpose for developing this portfolio.Teachers: Set up templates for student work in GoogleDocs, if appropriate

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2. Collection/ClassificationWhat artifacts will you include in your portfolio? How will you classify these entries?Students: Create a digital archive of work. Offline, this archive would be on a hard drive, flash drive, iPod or local area network server; Online, these files can be stored anywhere on the Internet, as long as each document has a unique URL. Recommend: GoogleDocsStudents: (Optional) Use a simple table or GoogleDocs Spreadsheet to list the artifacts, and assign (classify) each one to the outcome/goal/standard that the artifact will demonstrate. Use the table to keep track of artifacts that might be stored on one of the many Web 2.0 sites that you could use to store your work

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Recommendations on Storage:Students: convert all attached artifacts into web-compatible formats (JPEG or PDF) so that the potential reader will not need to own the original software in order to read it (i.e., Microsoft Office, Publisher, Inspiration documents could easily be converted into PDF and attached to a blog entry, or link to GoogleDocs). Web 2.0 storage: Video files can be saved on one of the video sharing sites, and use the Hyperlink or Embed code to include in your blog entry. Word, Excel and PowerPoint files could be uploaded into GoogleDocs. Other free websites that allow you to store documents: SlideShare, Scribd. Most of these Web 2.0 sites use an email address as the log-in name, so it will be easy to remember.

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BrainstormWhat is your purpose for developing ePortfolios? How would you answer your students’ question:“Why are we creatinga blog/portfolio?”

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Brainstorm - Level 1What are some strategies you currently use to integrate technology across the curriculum?What types of digital documents do students create?Where are these digital documents stored?

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3. ReflectionReflection is the heart and soul of a portfolio. Reflection provides the rationale for why these artifacts represent achievement of a particular outcome, goal or standard. Blog entries provide an opportunity for reflection "in the present tense" or "reflection in action.”Teachers: Provide students with resources to support their reflection activities. For each learning activity or artifact, what should be the focus of the students' reflections? (See Dr. Barrett's Google Site on Reflection for Learning)Students: Write a blog entry (using Journal set up using GoogleSites Announcements page type--Step #1 above) with a reflection on each learning activity or artifact (what is the context in which this artifact was developed? What did you learn?).Students: Add your own classification using TagsStudents: Add appropriate artifacts (through hyperlinks) or as an attachment to the journal entry.Privacy Features: Students can limit who can read the Google Site through the More Actions ->Share this Site menu item

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4. Connection/Interaction/Dialogue/FeedbackThis stage provides an opportunity for interaction and feedback on the work posted in the portfolio. This is where the power of Web 2.0 interactive tools becomes apparent. Teachers and Peers: Use the feedback features of Google Sites or GoogleDocs, such as comments, to provide feedback on the work posted in the ePortfolio/blog entries. Guidelines should be provided to support more effective feedback.Teachers often provide exemplars for different levels of achievement, and provide a rubric for evaluation.Students should be given the option of updating the work, based on the feedback and the rubric.REPEAT steps 3-4 for each learning activity or artifact.

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Brainstorm - Level 2How are you supporting student reflection on their learning?How are you providing feedback on student learning?Who is currently bloggingwith students? Give abrief description.

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Less abouttellingMore about talking!- Julie Hughes, University of WolverhamptonTake advantage of Web 2.0 strategies in learning

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Reflection reminderCreate a blog entry with a link to at least one of your GoogleDocs documents you created.Reflect on how collaborative documents could be used to facilitate collaborative projects as well as feedback on student work.

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Don’t jump tothe final presentation prematurely…Document the learning process over time… through a learning journal.

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Writing a Reflection - 1http://www.ncpublicschools.org/pbl/pblreflect.htmSelect: What evidence/artifacts have you included?Describe: This step involves a description of the circumstances, situation or issues related to the evidence or artifact. Four "W" questions are usually addressed:Who was involved?What were the circumstances, concerns, or issues?When did the event occur?Where did the event occur?

Appraise: In the previous three steps, you have described and analyzed an experience, a piece of evidence, or an activity. The actual self-assessment occurs at this stage as you interpret the activity or evidence and evaluate its appropriateness and impact.Transform:This step holds the greatest opportunity for growth as you use the insights gained from reflection in improving and transforming your practice.

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Crucial DistinctionAssessment OF LearningHow much have students learned as of a particular point in time?Assessment FOR LearningHow can we use assessment to help students learn more?Rick StigginsAssessment Training Institute

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Principles of Assessment FOR LearningDefinition:Assessment for Learning is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there.

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Formative assessments to improve student achievement“Through their rigorous research, Black and Wiliam proposed that formative assessments, in which classroom evidence is used to adapt the teaching to meet student needs, is the best way to improve student achievement.” Source: http://teachfirst.com/2009/09/14/formative-assessments-is-the-feedback-on-student-learning-or-on-our-teaching/Electronic portfolios contribute to the ‘feedback loop’ integral to formative assessment (Cambridge, 2001).

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7 Principles of Good Feedback Practice for Formative Assessment:helps clarify what good performance is (goals, criteria, expected standards); facilitates the development of reflection and self-assessment in learning; delivers high quality information to students about their learning; encourages teacher and peer dialogue around learning; encourages positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem; provides opportunities to close the gap between current and desired performance;provides information to teachers that can be used to help shape the teaching.

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Feedback - Use the acronym THIRD...TIMELY: Feedback must be timely in order to give your students the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and do better on the next assignment. HONEST: or assignment better.IMPROVING: Make sure your feedback provides constructive criticism… Sharing your rubric is a good way to do this.RELEVANT: Make sure your feedback makes sense. DIRECT: If your student needs to get help with grammar or writing techniques, say so and put him or her in touch with resources available at your university. http://www.delaneykirk.com/2009/09/dear-dr-kirk--i-need-some-advice-on-how-to-handle-giving-feedback-to-my-students-i-always-struggle-with-just-how-much-to-s.html

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Checklist of Observable Behaviors for FeedbackPractice: Students exercise with the purpose of enhancing knowledge and skills.Teacher: The instructor gives students verbal or written input.Peer feedback: Peers provide verbal or written input.Cues about how to improve: The learner gets information back that includes suggestions on how to do better.Corrective feedback: This input is meant to help improve performance.Supportive feedback: A mentor or peer provides encouragement.Reference: Ewell, P. T. (1997). Organizing for learning: A point of entry. Draft prepared for discussion at the 1997 AAHE Summer Academy at Snowbird. National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS). p.9 Available: http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/learning/learn_summary.html

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Brainstorm - Level 3How might you support student presentation of their achievement?What are strategies you could use to engage students in showcasing their work?

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5. Summative Reflection/Selection/EvaluationAt the end of a course (or program), students would write a reflection that looks back over the course (or program) and provides a meta-analysis of the learning experience as represented in the reflections stored in the blog/journal entries.Students: Review the blog/journal entries for that category, and write a last "retrospective reflection" about the learning represented in the artifacts, selecting one or two examples that best represent achievement. This self-assessment should be the first part of a page set up in Google Sites.Students: Prepare a GoogleSites Page for each Outcome, Goal or Standard, and link to the selected "best" blog entries, writing a reflection on each page (by outcome/goal/standard) which should also have the artifact attached or linked.Teacher: Provide feedback and/or evaluation of the selection of work and rationale, using a rubric.

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6. Presentation/PublishingThe portfolio developer decides what parts of the portfolio are to be made public. Student: Create a set of pages that highlight the best components of the portfolio, linking to specific entries in the blog. Add the evidence (through hyperlinks to blog entries or artifacts) to the appropriate sub-pages in the portfolio.Students: Create an Introduction page, which should contain an overview of the portfolio. It serves as a “letter to the reader” and provides an explanation of the overall goals of the portfolio. Provide links to other pages developed in the portfolio. Advertise this Introduction page as the initial access point in your portfolio.Students: Create a page with Future Learning Goals (reflection in the future tense).Teacher: When used for summative assessment, submit final evaluation of portfolio (assessed using a quantitative analytic rubric or a holistic rubric).

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If we provide it… will they use it?How do we implement an ePortfolio process thatSticks?136

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137Key Qualities of an idea that is made to stick:SimplicityUnexpectednessConcretenessCredibilityEmotionalStories

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138Qualities of “Stickiness”Simplicity: "How do you strip an idea to its core without turning it into a silly sound bite?"Unexpectedness: "How do you capture people's attention... and hold it?"Concreteness: "How do you help people understand your idea and remember it much later?"Credibility: "How do you get people to believe your idea?"Emotional: "How do you get people to care about your idea?"Stories: "How do you get people to act on your idea?"

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How will you develop a vision?Brainstorm strategies you can use to share and create buy-in for your vision for implementing electronic portfolios in your organization.What should you includein your visionstatement?

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Develop a VisionExplore other school websitesSee what others are doingDevelop a prototypeConduct a pilot projectBe willing to change your vision

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How will you develop skills?Brainstorm strategies you can use to develop the skills necessary for implementing electronic portfolios in your organization.

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Student SkillsCollect evidence of learningSelect specific evidence that demonstrates a particular outcome, goal or standardReflectmetacognitively on learning represented in evidence, making a case that the artifacts constitute evidence of achievementMake connections in their learningSet goals for future learninghttp://electronicportfolios.org/teachers/competencies.html

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Teacher SkillsModel all of student competencies PLUS:Articulate the difference between assessment OF learning and assessment FOR learningImplement classroom-based assessment FOR learning strategiesProvide/facilitate specific and detailed feedback to learners about their learningSupport student reflection through modeling and research-based practicesCreate an environment that facilitates students' deep learningModify instruction based on what teachers are learning about their students’ reflectionhttp://electronicportfolios.org/teachers/competencies.html

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Develop SkillsBegin with current softwareAdd new skills when you are readyGo slowlyTake TimeBe willing to learn alongwith your studentsDo your own e-portfolio!

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How will you develop an Action Plan?Strategies you can use to develop an action plan for implementing electronic portfolios in your organization.

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What are the elements of your action plan?Here are the elements that you will need to include in your action plan for implementing electronic portfolios:Infrastructure (hardware and software)Curriculum IssuesTraining Issues (Skills)IncentivesResourcesOther?

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Curriculum IssuesWhere is the concept of the e-Portfolio introduced to students?Does the curriculum require “appropriate digital artifacts for electronic portfolio?”What kind of support is available to student & teachers… class? lab?How is the portfolio assessed?

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Develop an Action PlanIdentify standards/themes to be addressedIdentify curriculum areas to be “tweaked”Create a timeline and milestonesAssign responsibilityDevelop an e-portfolio handbook Identify success indicatorsDevelop rubricsExamples

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Planning into ActionFocus on what you can do with current resources (technological & skills)Designate an ePortfolio championBoth teacher and administrator supportIdentify opportunities in the curriculum to develop digital artifactsTie to standards

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Your Small Group TaskBrainstorm Vision StrategiesWhat is your vision for e-portfolios for your school? (“your elevator speech”)Think about how will you communicate that vision?30 minutes

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Next StepsBrainstorm Action Plan StepsWhat is on your “to do” list?What changes need to happen?What support do you need?Build web-based resource on ePortfolios in your school

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Really Simple Syndication (RSS)aggregation of content from multiple Web sources in one placeRSS content can be read using software called an "RSS reader", "feed reader" or an "aggregator", which can be web-based or desktop-based.The user subscribes to a feed by entering the feed's link into the reader or by clicking an RSS icon in a browser that initiates the subscription process. (Wikipedia)

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RSS Feed ReaderGoogle ReaderThe RSS reader checks the user's subscribed feeds regularly for new content, downloading any updates that it finds and provides a user interface to monitor and read the feeds.in Oprah speak, RSS stands for: I’m “Ready for Some Stories”. It is a way online for you to get a quick list of the latest story headlines from all your favorite websites and blogs all in one place.(Wikipedia)

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Google Reader (RSS)Open GoogleReader to activate it (watch the short little video). Visit the blogs of class members and subscribe to some or all of their blogs. Click on the RSS feed (usually at the bottom of the blog): Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)Select the preferred Reader (Google) and select GoogleReader.Go to GoogleReader and organize feeds in folders using Manage Subscriptions.

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Reflection SuggestionOf all the tools we have tried so far,Which one is best for reflection?Which one is best for public presentation?Which one is best for documenting competencies?Which one is hardest to use? Easiest?Start thinking about what you want to learn next after the workshop is over.Set some learning goals in your blogBloggeriGoogleGoogleGroupsGoogle Reader *GoogleDocs DocumentGoogleDocs PresentationGoogle Sites

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Making ePortfolios StickWill your students want to use the ePortfolio process after they graduate?